YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS. Russia is a supporter of turning the South Caucasus into a zone of peace and prosperity and is not going to compete with anyone, ARMENPRESS reports Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Ivan Nechaev said during an online briefing, answering the question of a journalist of the Russian media, how he interprets the information circulating in the press that the West is trying to exclude Russia from the process of normalization of relations between Yerevan and Baku.

The spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Moscow's position that efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be based on November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26 statements signed at the top level between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"We are not against non-regional players joining the process, if they act within the framework of the mentioned agreements and contribute to their implementation. The important thing is to prevent duplication and “secret games” in order to weaken someone, to "put spoke in the wheels", said Ivan Nechaev.